In the mainland part of the kingdom, the ducat also replaced the Napoleonic lira.

The subdivision and the coinage of the currency were simplified with respect to the pre-Napoleonic era: only three denominations survived.

The ducat proper was the name of the gold coins, and curiously it did not exist as a single unit; the grana (singular: grano) was the name of the silver coins, itself also not existing as a single unit; the tornesel (Italian: tornese) was the name of the copper coins, which were worth half a grana.

[2] The piastra was the unofficial name of the biggest silver coin, which had a value of 120 grana.

When the Italian lira replaced the coinage of the House of Bourbon in 1861, a rate of 1 piastra = 5.1 lire was established.